Ship-salvaging apparatus



C. E. DRAKE.

SHIP SALVAGlNG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FiLE D SEPLH, 1920.

Patented May 24, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

am A TTORNE Y8 C. E. DRAKE. SHIP SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED, SEPT. 14, 1920.

1 ,378,84:3. Patented May 24, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I INVENTOR v karzmifiraz'a.

ATTOR Y8 I E .S A NT MTE mm cI IAnLEs E. DRAKE, or NEW YORK,:N. Y.

SH IP-SALYA GING APPARATUS.

npplicationfiled S ptember" To all whom it may concern: j Be it known that I, CHARLES E. DRAKE, a citizen of the United States, residi'ngin New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Ship Salvaging Apparatus, of which the; follow mg 18 a specification. I V

The main object of this invention is to providev a practical apparatus and means combined therewith for making adequate connections With the hull'of a submerged ship whereby the same may be safely raised at a comparatively low cost. V i

A further object is to provide brace frame elements, contactable with the hull, adapt; ed to guide the combined drill and raising bars, and which afford a secure mechanical purchase for the bars when in the -act of raising the ship. i These and other like objects, which will become apparent as the description prof gresses, are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown' in' the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, andin which:-

Figure l is a perspective view,partially in section, and largely diagrammatic, illustrating in general the application of the invention w we Fig. 2-is a perspectiveview showing the combined drill, lifting bar and its brace bracket. j I Fig. 3 isan enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a fragment of aships hull and drill bar.- I I v Fig. 4: is a transverse sectionalview of a preferred form of diving bell and its principal appurtenances, i i

When ships are sunk at a depth iio greater than at which. divers can work, cablescan be secured in the port holes, passed beneath the hull or otherwise as maybe deemed expedient.

' If the ship is at a greater depth such ordinary means are not available andi-other I means for attaching lifting -cables must be used insalva'ging theship. I

This invention comprises'means I for attaching such cables to ships at "any'fde'pth from the surface, n a relatively easy, vconvenient and certain mannerx Referring now to the drawings in detail, particularly Fig, 1, the numeral 10 designates a sunken ship restingon thebottom of Specificationef Letters ma. ::1 5tnt 1 24,1921, if

14, 192 sm-in nt. 14 10,197.

a body of water, 11 the tender or ship/for the divers and other operators, containing a power plant, for providing electricity, compressed air,,cable haulage means, and like necessary appurtenances relating to the pur pose, one ormore 0f the tenders being em- 'ployed as may be necessary. I I A diving bell of peculiarconstruction-as characteristic of certain phases of the invention isind -icated generally'by the numeral 12, the same being an oblong rectangle enabling several operations to be conducted simultaneously. f

Q Thediving bell 12 isattached by cables 14 to the-tender 11, rings 15 being fixed to the tOp of the bell ateach end, thebell being further supported by rods 16' attached to its bottom, the rods being telescopic or rigid as preferred, other rods 17 arranged diagonally, in order to take the thrust of the drills, passing 'though stufiing boxes 18 at the outerlower corners ofthe bell; v

' The rods 17 extend up through the floor '20 of the bell and transverse partition 21 3 above which theoperators work, the ends of, the rods being provided With teeth in the I I manner of racks 22 engaged by gears 23 fixed on spindles24 along side ratchets 25 heldlin' adjustment by spring pressed b" The gearsare' rotated. by pinions 27 turned I manually bycranks 28 thus raisingor lowering'the'rods from the interior of the bell as maybe desired and it is evident similar I A" stout flexible'tube 35 conveys air from the tender to the compartment 31, and a c'ztbleg36 similarly'connected, acts as a con- *veyer for electric conductors 37, 38 and 39 leading 'respectiyelyto the switch, 40, telephone 41 and electriolights 42, "provided" nvithjreflect'ors43 arranged'adjace'nt to port holes 44"covered by lenses45.

I The drilling mechanism isfi'n' the'lovver "compartment33 and consists of one or more electric motors 48 fastened to the fioorg20 and energized b y current delivered through the wires A9from the switch40. v I Standards 50, also secured to the floor 20, I

are formed with bearings 51 in which are mounted the hubs of gears 52 driven by the motors.

Passing through the gear hubs are shafts 55 having keys 56 by which they are driven and are fre to move'lengthwise.

The outer ends of these shaftsare guided mounted on spindles 63 adjacent to bevel gears 64 meshing with mating gears 65 on the ends of shafts 66;

The spindles 63 rotate in bearings 67 and the shafts 66 are guided by bearings on the partition 21 and at their upper ends by brackets 68, above which they are provided with operating hand wheels 70 that upon being turned, obviously advance or retract the shafts 56.

Engageable with the protruding ends of the shafts are sockets 7 2 carrying transverse pins 78 enterable between the forks 58 and fixed to the opposite ends of the sockets are round bars 7 a terminating in drill points 7 5. The driving connection between the drill bar 741, and shaft 56 is only suggestive, as obviously any slip or screw joint connections may be used.

Adjacent the drill ends of, the bars 74 are slots 7 7 loosely containing stop or latch plates .78. pivoted on pins 79, the function of these latch plates being to drop by gravity after the drill has pierced the hull 10 and armor plate 10 if such exist, preventing retraction of the drill bars 74:.

These bars preferably have annular grooves 80 at suitable distances from the drill ends around which are secured the ends of haulage cables 82 extending up through the water to winches or like hoisting devices on the tender 11.

An important part of the invention is thecombined guide and brace frames for the drill bars, the same consisting of triangular frames, their bases 85 being adapt ed to make intimate contact with the hull of the ship to be raised, thebars being joined to relatively narrow parallel elements 86 by diagonally disposed integral elements 87 and 88, respectively upper and lower, the cables 82passing through openings in the upper elements 87 while the drill bars 74, are guided horizontally in openings formed centrally in the elements 86 and 85.

In operation, the position ofthe sunken ship having been ascertained by divers or otherwise, the tender ships are anchored adj acent and one-or more of the diving bells lowered in close proximity to the sunken hull.

The work can be watched asjit proceeds through the lenses 45 which also dispense light where it is required.

Due to the fact that severaldrills areused simultaneously the work is" quickly performed and it is relatively easy to move the diving bells to a new position.

When a sufficient number ofholes have been drilled in the hull of the sunken ship, the cables 82are hauled up, and, as they are attached to the bars closely to the hull, exert an effective pull. Due to' the peculiar construction of, the drill guide frames, which with the drills areleft with the hull, the drill bars are proa vided with an effective leverage, preventing them from bending up and because of the latches they cannot be inadvertently or accidentally withdrawn. j

From the foregoing it will be seen that an effective device for the purposes set forth has been disclosed, by means of which sunken ships may be salvaged in a relatively rapid and safe manner.

Havingthus described my invention and. 1.

including its construction and application, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a device for the purpose described,

in combination with a drill bar, of means for rotating and advancing said bars, said means permitting disconnection, a triangular support frame for said bar adapted to maintain the same substantially horizontal, a haulage cable passing through the upper member of said frame adjacent its base at tached to said bar, and a gravity operated latch pivoted in saidbar adjacent the drill end thereof. 3 i

2. In a device forthe purpose described,

able means for driving and feeding said drill bar, a triangular frame having its base in immedlate contact with the Part to be in combination with a drill bar, of detachdrilled and containing openings through V which said bar passes horizontally, a pivoted gravity latch in said bar adjacent the drill end thereof, and. a cable engaging a recess in said bar. and passing through the upper element of said frame. i

3. In a device for the purpose described, in

i an oblong rectangular diving bell having upper and lower compartments, support bars extending diagonally from the outer corners of said bell, rack and pinion adjustment for said bars, means for maintaining said bars when adjusted, a plurality of motors in the lower compartment, shafts driven by said motors, said shafts projecting through said bell, means for advancing 

